


Richie and Eddie's (worst kept) secret

by taniaterror



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, M/M, mentions of ben x bev, mentions of past bev x bill, mentions of underage drinking/smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 07:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12103668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taniaterror/pseuds/taniaterror
Summary: How the Losers Club learns about Eddie and Richie





	Richie and Eddie's (worst kept) secret

**Author's Note:**

> AU where nobody moves away and now they're in high school together.  
> Semi non-linear timeline, but the last part of the fic leads back to the first part of the fic. If you don't understand what I mean by that, that's fine. Read the fic and you'll get it. Takes place when the Losers are around 16  
> This fic is a mix of book and movie canon. There is one book spoiler but it's not too significant.

Beverly glanced down at their hands.

She had come down to the barrens - something the losers didn't do often anymore - seeking Richie out for a companionable smoke before meeting the rest of the gang at the Aladdin. Hanging out at the Aladdin wasn't anything new for them but Bill being the first to get a car made it exciting again somehow. (They would pile into his car after a movie, at least two people sitting in someone else's lap, and drive around town.) When she got there, though, Eddie was there with him. Not that it was a problem, but Eddie doesn't smoke, on account of his asthma.

The three of them had lied on the grass, Bev smoking on her own since Richie declined, making mild conversation. When they got up, Richie held out a hand to Eddie and helped him to his feet.

Now they were only a block or two away from the Aladdin, they were going to see a back to back feature of both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and Eddie and Richie were still holding hands. Beverly eyed the area and fortunately there wasn't anyone around.

 _When had this happened_ , she wondered. Not that she was really surprised. Eddie and Richie were always close. But when did they start… dating? Were they dating? They were something. But it's not like Beverly had seen them kiss, or do anything obvious. No, they couldn't, right? Not like her and Ben. But they clearly weren't trying to hide it from her and the rest of their friends, so why hadn't they…

"Are you two…?" The words were out before she could realize.

She saw Richie and Eddie exchange a look before Eddie said, "Are we what, Bev?"

"Eddie's got poor blood circulation in his fingers. I'm just keeping his hand warm," Richie said.

"Beep beep, Richie," Eddie muttered, grin on his face and without any real heat.

Beverly laughed. Not really at Richie's joke, but at their openness with her, at their comfortability. She was glad they trusted her so much. It's not like they had confirmed anything, but she realized they didn't need to.

 

* * *

 

Ben's interest in architecture was as strong as ever. After checking out some books from the library, he had met Richie and Eddie outside to walk to his house where they, along with the rest of the gang, would help with Ben's latest project.

"We should stop by the drugstore to get some snacks for everyone," Richie suggested.

"Careful, Richie, you'll end how I was when we were thirteen," Ben teased, realizing this wasn't the first time now that Richie wanted some sweets this summer.

At the drugstore, Eddie refilled a prescription he didn't need while Ben and Richie made their rounds in the aisles. When they stepped up to the counter to make their purchase Ben whispered, "Not lifting any smokes?"

Richie glanced at Eddie and then looked back at Ben. "Trying to quit."

Ben looked between his two friends, sensing the mood shift. "Oh…"

"Some people might not like tasting cigarettes on another person's mouth," Eddie commented testily, causing Richie to roll his eyes.

"Uh, no… I guess they don't," Ben said as he and Richie finished paying. _Was Eddie talking about kissing,_ Ben thought. _Kissing Richie?_ He had used the words _people_ and _person_. Was the use of a gender neutral word deliberate?

Ben thought about this more as they walked to his house. It was true he had noticed Richie smoking less over the summer, and that would explain his cravings for sugar. Trying to replace one addiction with another. And he wasn't a fan of the cigarette taste on Bev's mouth much either, but he wasn't about to let that or anything else stop him from kissing Beverly Marsh. Guess Eddie felt differently.

_So, Eddie and Richie, huh?_

The pair had always been, well, a pair within their circle. But Ben suddenly realized he couldn't tell when exactly they had become something else. He supposed because the change had been so gradual - natural - over the years. Of course Richie and Eddie were together now. He'd probably be more surprised if they weren't.

 

* * *

 

They were at the quarry.

It was an especially brutal summer, and if the Losers Club wasn't spending their time at the Aladdin, they were in the water. They didn't spend much time at the Barrens anymore, not since Henry and the others ruined their club house all those years ago. But Stan didn't like to think about _before_ , as he called it. Before they confronted _It_.

This place, though - the quarry - was special. It's where they saw the turtle.

After resurfacing from getting dunked by Bill, Eddie made an excuse about needing his aspirator. Not five minutes later, Richie made an excuse about about having to go take a piss.

Stan was struck with the realization that this was total bullshit. He stood idle in the water as the rest of his friends went on dunking and splashing. He realized that all summer Richie and Eddie had conveniently excused themselves from the group just a few minutes apart, only to return together at least twenty minutes later. Furthermore, if he was to meet Richie some place, Eddie would be there with him. And if he was meeting Eddie, Richie would always be there too.

Over the years, but especially this summer, the two had become inseparable. In fact, Stan couldn't think of a time this summer where the two were ever apart.

Stan started laughing quietly to himself. Did those two think they were being clever? Sure, it had taken Stanley a while to figure it out but it's not like they could be as open about it as Ben and Bev. Or when Bev had dated Bill.

There was an abrupt splash of water in Stan's face, waking him from his reverie.

"What's so funny, Stan?" Bill asked, any detection of a stutter long gone.

Stan shook his head. "Nothing, Big Bill." He knew it wasn't his place to say anything. And Eddie and Richie weren't being nearly as sneaky as they thought they were, surely the others would have figured it out by now, or would be soon enough.

 

* * *

 

He didn't know what caused the change but after their final confrontation with It, Mike wasn't able to kill those poor sheep again. It was the source of many more arguments with his grandfather. Only after securing a job at the local animal shelter was Mike able to convince his grandfather to back off a bit. He still wasn't too thrilled about Mike not helping out at the farm as much but at least he was making some money.

They didn't have him do much at the shelter except clean out the shit in cages and feed the animals. As long as he didn't have to shoot anymore sheep in the head, he was good. And whenever the shelter came upon a new litter of abandoned puppies or kittens - which was way too often in Mike's opinion - some of the Losers would come down and play with them for a while.

Today was such a day. The shelter got in a litter of beagle puppies yesterday. Eddie was with them now, with Richie of course, as Mike cleaned the cages.

"What about your allergies, Eddie Spaghetti?" Richie teased.

"Quit calling me that," Eddie griped, picking up one of the puppies as if proving some kind of point about the allergies thing.

Mike laughed softly at his friends from the other side of the room. Though, he tried to think back to a time where Eddie actually didn't like the nicknames Richie gave him. Because for all his whining and _beep beep, Richies_ , it didn't seem like he minded at all. Whenever he called Richie out, there was always this look on his face that seemed like he was trying to suppress a smile and failing miserably. It reminded Mike of a look he'd seen on Ben whenever Ben looked at Beverly. And then, Richie would get this glint in his eyes like he _knew_ Eddie didn't hate the teasing as much as he let on.

 _So were Eddie and Richie like Ben and Bev_ , Mike wondered. _Were they together?_

Now that he really thought about it, he wondered how he failed to have seen it sooner.

"Hey, Mikey, that dog shit of particular interest to you or what?" Richie said, referencing the fact that Mike had been frozen in thought in front of a soiled cage.

Mike smirked to himself and shot back, "Don't you have to walk Eddie home soon?"

"Alright, alright. You'll get yours tomorrow, Mike Hanlon," Richie said as Eddie's face turned beet red.

 

* * *

 

Bill didn't mind driving his friends around, really. Maybe he hadn't thought he'd be doing as much driving as he was but he definitely didn't mind. It was probably a hazard of some sort to have seven teenagers cram into one car but, what the heck. The Losers Club were his best friends in the world. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Lately, they'd all been meeting at the Aladdin for a show or two, then head out for ice cream and beer they lifted from a convenience store.

Bill was calling Eddie to make plans for the following day. He had just hung up with Beverly, confirming she and Ben would be there tomorrow. One would think things would be weird among the three of them since Bev had previously dated Bill, but they weren't. Bill and Beverly had realized much of their relationship had felt contrived because of the surrounding circumstances. Their relationship, in part, felt like it just happened because everyone had expected it to. So the break had been clean, and the dynamic of the Losers Club had remained intact.

The phone had been on it's seventh ring and if Eddie wasn't home Bill thought at least Mrs. Kaspbrack would have answered by now.

"Um, hello?" a voice finally answered.

"Richie?" Bill asked. He sounded out of breath.

"Yeah, what?" Richie said, like this was totally normal, though his tone was clipped.

"What are you doing at Eddie's so late?" It wasn't that odd for the Losers to still have sleepovers (even with Eddie since they'd just sneak in after his mom fell asleep) but something about the way Richie had answered the phone made this feel different.

"Oh…" Richie said as if just now realizing he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

There were some muffled noises and arguing before Eddie's voice replaced Richie's.

"Hey, Bill. What's up?" Eddie asked in overly casual voice.

Bill thought he might accidentally slip back into his stutter just because of the awkwardness of the situation. "Just wanted to know if you, and Richie too I guess, wanted to come down to the Aladdin tomorrow like we've all been doing?"

"And ice cream and beer later, _right!_ " The last word came out as a yelp.

"Yeah… uh, Eddie, is everything alright?" Where Richie seemed oblivious, Eddie seemed distracted.

"Mhm. Right as rain, Big Bill," Eddie forced himself to say. "We'll be there tomorrow. I reallyhavetogookbye!"

Bill greeted the abrupt dial tone with a sharp, "What the fuck?"

 _Were…were Richie and Eddie… Well, if they weren't fucking, they were obviously doing_ something!

In retrospect, Bill remembered, this wasn't the first time Richie had answered the phone for Eddie. But it was certainly the first time they were both acting so weird about the whole thing.

The fact that he'd interrupted them caught Bill off guard. But the fact that it was happening at all, that didn't put Bill off in the least. He was a little disappointed with himself for having missed all the other signs, though. And maybe he was a little bitter that Eddie and Richie hadn't told him explicitly what was up, and that _this_ was the way he had to find out. But even though things had settled down after that summer three years ago, Derry was still _Derry_. Their quaint little town wasn't exactly known for any civil rights movements. So Bill could understand why his friends didn't say any more than they needed to about what they were to each other.

 

* * *

 

"Do you think he knows what we were doing?" Eddie asked anxiously.

"Definitely," Richie deadpanned.

Eddie reached for a pillow and smacked Richie in the face with it. "Would you be serious!" he pleaded.

"What's to know, Eds? We weren't actually doing anything."

"That's still not my name," Eddie muttered angrily. "And I'm sure Bill will totally think we're innocent. Did you have to tickle me so much?" He was breathing heavily and reached for his aspirator but stopped himself from actually using it and turned it in his hands, staring at it.

Richie lied down beside him. Despite what he'd said about not actually doing anything, he and Eddie were stripped down to there boxers. They hadn't had sex - yet. But they had been talking about it with increased frequency recently. Richie was sure it'd happen any night now. They were just waiting for when they'd both felt ready.

Richie's gaze locked onto Eddie's aspirator. He took it into his own hands, inspecting it, and slipped it back into Eddie's. Sometimes he wanted to ask why Eddie still bothered with the thing. He had long stopped taking all the pills Sonia had practically shoved down her son's throat.

"I know it's not real," Eddie spoke softly, seemingly hearing Richie's own thoughts. "My asthma. That it's psychosomatic, or whatever. I just don't know how to make it stop. My mom convinced herself she was trying to keep me from getting sick. Except now, I am sick. And she's the reason."

Despite everyone calling him Trashmouth, Richie knew damn well when not to make a joke. In those moments, it was usually a problem because he didn't know what else to say instead. Right now, though, he didn't feel the need to say anything. That was the thing about Eddie - he knew how to shut Richie up without even trying.

Richie leaned in to Eddie and kissed him on his temple.

Eddie glanced at the new lock and deadbolt on his door. Ben had helped him install them. When Sonia saw the locks, she had one of her worst outbursts yet but it was worth it. Richie was worth it. He was worth everything. "Stay," Eddie said softly.

Richie said nothing and reached for his packet of cigarettes, pulling one out and flicking the lighter.

"No, don't," Eddie protested.

"Which is it? Stay or don't?" Richie smirked.

"Asshole."

The lighter wouldn't spark so Richie took it as a sign and tossed it and the cigarette back onto the side table. He crawled under the covers with Eddie and turned to look at him to ask, "You think Ben could help you sound proof the room too? I don't want your mom to overhear us with all the noise you'll be making when we finally do it."

Eddie looked aghast and shoved Richie's face away with the palm of his hand. "Alright, get the fuck out."

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: [demiromanticmickey](http://demiromanticmickey.tumblr.com/)


End file.
